Rotton Apples
by Hippo and Friends
Summary: Cloud reflects on the events that took place during the game. Rated PG for angst and mildly suggestive themes. Writer: Hippo


Rotten Apples By Hippo  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. This fic contains spoilers, so read with caution.  
  
"What you pursue will be yours, but you will loose something dear."  
  
You're damn right, Cait, you're damn right. I knew exactly what you meant when it happened. I didn't know what to say then, since I was overcome with grief. She was gone. Just like that, gone. We couldn't even say goodbye. I was totally unprepared for it. I knew it would happen one day, but I pictured it with her as an old woman, struggling for her final breath. Not a young, healthy girl. It was too cruel.  
  
She was the light of us. But now the light was dimmed. Her eyes would never shine, nor would ever hear that pleasant soprano again.  
  
I could tell Aeris wanted to marry me right before she died. She asked Cait how compatible we were, and he gave a good sign. He said we were very compatible, but how could we be compatible if she was dead?  
  
Within hours of her death, I felt like that I was the loneliest man in the world, like rotten apples sitting alone on the market shelf. How could I cope with this? My love was taken away from me right before my eyes. I thought I would never ride the Aeroplane of love again.  
  
That night, I couldn't sleep. I was hoping we would one-day sleep in each other's arms. But I was alone. Cold and shivering, all alone in the middle of the night. No loving, feminine arms to wrap around my shoulders. I wanted to do noting but cry all night. I almost did.  
  
Eventually, the whale of sleep finally engulfed me. I remember what I had dreamt that night. I was in an endless field of black. I was alone, crying out, only to hear my voice echo. I knew I was dreaming, but I still hated it.  
  
Suddenly, I saw particles, glowing in a bright green against the black nothingness. They seemed to come from all directions, to a spot a few inches in front of me. It was as if they were forming something. They continued to converge, until they began to take shape. A bright flash of light caused me to squint my eyes shut. When I opened them again, I gasped and jumped back as emotion and grief overtook me. There was Aeris, standing right in front of me.  
  
"Aeris," I sobbed, "please come back. I can't stand living without you."  
  
"Don't cry, Cloud," said Aeris, "I still live, through you and your friends . In time, you will understand the meaning of my sacrifice."  
  
With that, I awoke. Like I said before, I knew I was dreaming, but I was disappointed our "encounter" was so short. Was that really her, or was it simply my mind playing tricks? I guess I'll never know, but in the end, I did understand. She saved us all.  
  
The following day, I felt slightly better, but not that much. I knew how difficult it would be. Seeing that empty space where Aeris should be standing with us made me want to drop to my knees and cry. Even the cold snow seemed like a refuge from the ugly reality of life.  
  
That night, I dreamt again. Only this time, Aeris was nowhere to be seen. Instead, I saw my old friend, Zack. I'll never forget that dream. It made me realize the truth. He was so much like me. As I remembered Aeris was in love with Zack long before she met me, I noticed how she used to compare me to him. It was then that I realized we were only friends to begin with. She thought I was someone else. But I wasn't him, and I wasn't the man she loved.  
  
Then, there came the unexpected twist. It would be very difficult for me to explain this all to anyone, because I can barely understand it myself.  
  
A week after Aeris died, I was discovered on a beach. It could not move, speak, or remember anything about myself. I was a total vegetable. How did I get there? I have no idea. I immediately received medical attention, but even the physician, who saw his science as a god-like power, could do nothing for me.  
  
Of course my friends came to visit me, but of course I had no idea who they were. I could only feel their presence, and I found it comforting. Soon, thought, they left, and I was along once again.  
  
Or so I thought. There was one presence I could still feel, and found it more comforting than any other could be. This presence I felt was positive, caring, and feminine. When I finally regained my senses, I discovered who it was.  
  
Tifa. She then worked so hard, staying up all night and day, to help me find myself. I felt ashamed at first, because deep down in my heart I knew I had not treated her the way I should have. But she stood by me, nonetheless. She was my best friend, and finding that out was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. As it turned out, the love of Tifa was more powerful than any doctor or medicine could ever be.  
  
I remember how Tifa and I were together the night before our final battle. We were the only two who had no place to go. So we sat outside and talked to each other, for longer than we had ever talked before. It started out as a normal conversation. However, she soon began talking about our past, more than she ever did, and I noticed she was crying a little as she spoke. And for some strange reason, I cried, too. I cried because she was crying. Neither of us were upset, but I never saw her that emotional. I guess seeing her that way made me a little emotional, too. I realized that she had so much to say, and that I needed to listen. I gently put my arm around her back and pulled her closer. I knew that she loved me. And I realized that I loved her as well.  
  
I know Aeris and Zack are together again, basking in each other's love. Death tore them apart, and death reunited them. Meanwhile, Tifa and I have become much closer in the years since our victory. We have shared our first kiss, become deeply romantic, and now we are even talking about getting married and having children together. All friends and lovers were where they belonged. I was starting over with the love of my life.  
  
And, all of a sudden, the apples are not so rotten anymore.  
  
The End 


End file.
